Jill Biden says Joe Biden’s 2024 debate left her fearing ‘he’s having a stroke’

Former US First Lady Jill Biden has revealed she feared her husband, former President Joe Biden, was “having a stroke” during his widely criticised 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump.

In an interview preview aired by CBS Sunday Morning, Jill Biden reflected on the June 2024 debate performance that intensified concerns over Biden’s health and eventually led him to end his re-election campaign.

“ I wasn’t horrified. I was frightened, because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never,” she said.

Asked what she thought had happened during the debate, Jill Biden added: “I don’t know what happened. As I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke’, and it scared me to death.”

The debate proved to be a turning point in Biden’s campaign, as critics pointed to his faltering answers and visible struggles on stage as evidence of declining health.

Biden later withdrew from the race in July 2024, paving the way for then-Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee.

Since leaving office, Biden has faced continued scrutiny from Trump and Republican allies over his health and use of an autopen for official documents.

Biden has repeatedly denied claims he was cognitively unfit while serving as president.